Sticking with uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic—this is the spiritual path.

The goal of the Buddhist path is not to add something to our existence but to discover something that has been there all along.

If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others.

The more you understand, the more you love; the more you love, the more you understand.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

There is no difference at all between samsara and nirvana. There is no difference at all between nirvana and samsara.

The perfect moment is this one, not the one you're waiting for.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

Looking for peace is like looking for a turtle with a mustache: you won't be able to find it. But when your heart is ready, peace will come looking for you.

The past is just a memory. The future is just a dream. Be here now.

The cultivation of loving-kindness is the thread that runs through all Buddhist teachings.

Metta is the ability to embrace all parts of ourselves, as well as all parts of the world.

Mindfulness means keeping one's consciousness alive to the present reality.

The quality of every moment depends on the state of our minds.

The cave I live in is empty and so is my mind. I live simply and at ease.

The contradiction so puzzling to the ordinary way of thinking comes from the fact that we have to use language to communicate our inner experience, which in its very nature transcends linguistics.

All experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, and suffering follows as the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.

The challenge in meditation is not to eliminate thinking but to understand the nature of thought itself.

A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.

Just as the wise do not take a mirage to be water, nor an echo to be a voice, so the enlightened do not take the world to be real.

Short moments, many times. That is the essence of meditation practice.

The first noble truth of the Buddha is that life contains suffering. The second noble truth is that the cause of suffering is craving.

True love is not for the faint-hearted.

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.

Devotion is the head of meditation, as is often said. When you are inspired by some spiritual teacher, you can have a very strong connection with that person, and thereby the blessings can enter.

Generosity generates its own enthusiasm. We don't have to force ourselves to be generous; we just need to start.

All worldly pursuits have but one unavoidable and inevitable end, which is sorrow; acquisitions end in dispersion; buildings in destruction; meetings in separation; births in death.

Our emotions are like waves in the ocean. We can't stop the waves, but we can learn to surf.

The biggest prison is the one we build in our own mind.

The practice of meditation is like tuning an instrument. Too tight, and the strings break. Too loose, and they won't play.